Metal News for August 1, 2017

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News Archive

20 news articles posted on this day.

Man, the summer's almost over already and we're in our first August Pit Story somehow! Where did the time go?

This week we've got Chicago hard rock crew Aeraco on tap to dispense a new tale of pit hijinks, this time with a wrench thrown in the works not by an unruly fan, but rather by a venue manager who just wasn't feeling the music...

Aeraco bassist Beast recalls the harrowing experience like this:

My first gig with Aeraco was at a local bar in the western suburbs of Chicago. Nothing too crazy to brag about, but it was a good size bar with a good atmosphere. These were the thoughts that ran through my head the night prior to the gig as the whole band went out to scout the place. A local talent known for their profane titles and lyrics was playing that night. There was a pretty good crowd that evening, which set an expectation for the following night.

The next night, Saturday, we load all our gear in to find out that the venue only provides a very small and outdated PA. No mics, no cables, no stands. Good thing we came prepared, but that was about as good as it gets. We were able to salvage the gig by providing our traditional 3 vocal mic setup across the front of the "stage" (most likely recognized as a corner to most people). Not having any other mics or inputs for the PA, we dialed our amp volume levels to the drummer and then dialed the PA over everything else. I was actually pretty impressed at how it sounded considering the conditions.

An hour later, we began rocking out some of the greatest tunes to ever hit the radio. Some of the people that came out to see the gig were digging it, but nowhere near the amount that was there the night before. We had 3 hours or so of set time, so I was in it for the long haul. After about 2 or 3 songs, we had a woman approach us. I'm thinking alright we are doing pretty good and now our first request of the night. But she quickly changed that perception after she snarled at us, "Turn down! You guys are too loud!" Our contract says Hard Rock Band, what else would you expect? So we turn down our amps a little bit and the PA as well. Still a good balance overall, just less in your face.

After another song and a half, she comes storming in again, but we keep chugging along thinking she'll have to wait till we're done to speak to us. Instead, she B-lines it towards the PA and just starts turning knobs. Being the one that setup the PA and being the closest at the time, I noticed the knobs she was turning were for the vocals effects type and volume. I started chuckling as I watched her try to figure it out and becoming increasingly frustrated with no noticeable results. The rest of the band wound up stopping the song after noticing her struggled effort. She proceeds to tell us that she is the manager (who we had been looking for earlier in the day so we could get paid), and that we were still too loud. So reluctantly, we turned down even more, both the amps and the PA till we got her approval.

At this point, the drums are now the loudest thing, I can barely hear myself through the amp, and the PA isn't producing enough sound in the room to hear the vocal cues. What a nightmare! We make it through another song. Woo! We must be quiet enough to play the rest of the night. Finally!

We continue rocking out despite the low volumes and not being able to hear ourselves. After making it 75% of the way through the next song and are about to bring it home, when you guessed it! The Manager of the Year stomps her ass all the way to the stage. I was thinking she was going for the PA again. But she's full of surprises, and this was no exception. She starts waving her arms in the air like she's trying to signal for help as if she was Tom Hanks in Cast Away. She yells for us to stop! Stop Playing! We finally settle our instruments and roll our eyes as she begins to open her trap again.

She says, "I'll give you $200 to pack up and leave right now." We all were perplexed. We couldn't believe what we were hearing. We bickered for a little while, but eventually gave up as it was quite clear we were not wanted there. We had a contract to play for 3 hours for way more than 200 bucks, but apparently they weren't willing to uphold their end of the deal. Kind of a shitty first gig after a killer audition for me. After all that, I definitely had some second thoughts on whether or not I made a good decision to play with this band. But in the end, I stuck it out and now we have our brand new album titled "Baptized By Fire" which was inspired by experiences like these. Always keep Rockin!

A music video for the title track off that album can be found below, and you can hear more from Aeraco by heading over to SoundCloud here. To follow the latest on Aeraco, check out the group's Facebook profile. More...

The Fall Of Summer team is glad to reveal the complete lineup for the 2017 edition today, issuing this statement:

"First, we are happy to announce a very important band in the Fall Of Summer history, since they were the first band we announced in 2014 and gave us their trust when all of this was just a project and we'll always be grateful for that. We are proud once more, to announce that British metal legends Venom are back in Torcy and you better be there!

"To continue with British bands from the 80s, they represent 30 years of crust all by themselves and we're not even sure you are extreme enough to take it! So get ready to welcome Doom in September!

"Now we go a bit more north with Norwegian black metal legend Gaahl and his new band Gaahls Wyrd for a mesmerizing performance including songs from Gorgoroth, God Seed, and Trelldom.

"The last band of this announcement is French and you may not know it yet, but if you like black metal you will probably come back home from Fall If Summer with some of their albums, so we advise you to start listening now to Ende." More...

A collaboration between Horseback's Jenks Miller and Krieg's Neill Jameson, Poison Blood's debut is a short but furious chronicle of cold and reptilian sonic terror. As a precursor to its release, today new song "Circles Of Salt" is offered up for public feasting. Comments Jameson of the track:

"'Circles Of Salt' is probably the one track on the record that truly strays away from the source material by being closer in feeling to some of the weirder black metal that came out in a pre-Xasthur age.

"Because of this, I wanted to approach it in a less direct way than anything else on the record and, like I said, with it having more of an old depressive feeling to it I thought about what I would do if I were recording it in the mid to late 1990s, which is that I'd give it more of a Forgotten Woods vocal style and have it mixed backwards from how I recorded it to give it a more paranoid frenetic feeling with undertones of Danzig IV.

"The title itself is a nod to The Banner but also fits the mood of the song, a somewhat morose comfort which lends itself to protection from the misplaced and unrealistic optimism of the naive world."

New album "Poison Blood" will be released worldwide this coming August 11th on CD, LP, and digital formats via Relapse Records. More...

Toronto quintet Centuries Of Decay will drop a debut, self-titled concept album this coming August 4th, 2017. Today the group has released an advance full album stream - check it out below.

Drummer Derrick Doucette comments: "We've often thought about the fragility of civilization throughout history and the idea of events repeating itself. With that in mind, our concept album tells the story of society being born, corrupt and destroyed in an endless cycle. It can be taken as a literal piece of fiction, or even a social commentary. It also comes from more personal issues such as depression, disillusionment and failure."

First Fragment just released a playthrough video featuring drummer Samuel Santiago - check it out below. Santiago comments:

"This is my first official drum playthrough video for First Fragment. This is 'Le Serment de Tsion' off our debut album 'Dasein.' Having joined the band just after the recording of 'Dasein' was completed, this is my own slightly different interpretation of the track. This is the same version I play live.

"It's very challenging to reach this constant level of intensity. I am very pleased with the final result and I hope you will dig it just as much. I would like to thank my endorsers Meinl Cymbals, Los Cabos Drumsticks, and Trickdrums USA for their high-quality and unbreakable products." More...

With the addition of Czech experimental black metal Master's Hammer, the line-up for Eindhoven Metal Meeting 2017 is now complete. The ninth edition of Netherlands’ longest-running indoor extreme metal festival will take place on Friday the 15th & Saturday the 16th of December 2017 at the Effenaar venue in Eindhoven.

The festival is also proud to reveal its day-by-day schedule, which is subject to changes as always. A total of 34 bands will make their appearance at the festival. Regular combi and day tickets are available at the festival website here. The complete line-up per day is as follows:

Denver, CO's Crafteon is the conception of vocalist and guitarist Lord Mordiggian, whom has been inspired to create an entire album influenced by his favorite author H.P. Lovecraft.

Set to unleash debut "Cosmic Reawakening" on August 25th, the eight tracks on this release are based on classic Lovecraft tales such as "The Outsider," "Dagon," and "From Beyond." First single "What The Moon Brings" was unleashed earlier this month and now these dark lords have unleashed next track "Dagon" below.

Lord Mordiggian explains: "This track is based on Lovecraft's tale of the same name, in which a deranged veteran submarine crewman is driven to a morphine overdose, throwing himself from his apartment window when he cannot obliterate from his memory a horrifying encounter with an ancient, cyclopean creature. This track reflects the human incapacity for surviving the black gnosis--the maddening knowledge of that which should not be known. 'Dagon' showcases Crafteon's style through its aggressive riffing, atmospheric passages, and manic vocals."

1. The Outsider (5:21)2. What The Moon Brings (4:14)3. The Temple (5:09)4. Dagon (5:10)5. The Colour Out of Space (6:06)6. The White Ship (5:25)7. From Beyond (5:52)8. The Whisperer In The Darkness (6:08) More...

Negative metal act Rebel Wizard will issue four brand new anti-shamanic, pre-fetal anthems later this month in the form of "The Warning Of One" EP. Set for release on August 18th via Prosthetic Records, the EP will be available on cassette and digital formats.

Comments Rebel Wizard mastermind NKSV: "Negative wizard metal once again proves that in an era of 'the shell' and fevered, self-righteous evolution, we can abandon hope and rest blissfully within the mystical indifference of the wizards majestic riff."

Like a merciless dagger onto the scene arrives Sicarius (meaning contract killer or assassin) with an ultra-violent black metal assault. Founded 3 years ago, Sicarius pays homage to classic black metal bands while injecting a modern high-velocity method that has seen the band signed to M-Theory Audio.

“I witnessed Sicarius perform at a small show featuring some other M-Theory Audio acts including Helsott and Empyrean Throne,” explains M-Theory Audio label head Marco Barbieri. “I was unfamiliar with the band previously but within minutes of taking the stage the group commanded my attention. Not only with their look, but more so for their performance which was raw, violent and reckless. The ‘danger’ aspect is something that escapes most rock and metal these days, but with Sicarius I was intrigued which ultimately lead to this signing.”

“We at Sicarius are absolutely thrilled to be a part of the M-Theory team and to work with a leader of such a high caliber like Marco. The man is a visionary to say the least, and has worked with countless black metal acts that have influenced Sicarius in many facets,” explains guitarist Argyris.

He goes on to say, “Since forming this outfit the biggest goals have been to write music that we want to listen to, and to carry the torch of the classic bands from the late ‘80s / early ‘90s such as Rotting Christ, Mayhem, Bathory and Gorgoroth. We hold the utmost respect and confidence in this label and the team that operates it. After meeting with Marco I am very privileged to share our vision for Sicarius under the banner of M-Theory Audio and together unleash uncompromising black metal violence upon the world.” More...

Fresh off the release of latest live album, "Transmissions: Live In Bucharest," which hit retailers in March via Prosthetic Records, Arizona-based epic sludge trio North is pleased to announce an upcoming North American tour directly supporting Rosetta.

The tour will begin on October 5th in Scottsdale, AZ and visit several cities, coming to a close back in the band's hometown of Tucson on October 30th. More dates are to be announced soon. Tickets are available via individual venues.

The band states: "North is thrilled to be back on the road with our friends Rosetta, a band that not only do we enjoy immensely on a musical level, but who are also some of our very best friends in the world. There isn't another band out there that we would rather be on tour with. They first reached out their arms to us back in 2008 for our first trip to the east coast, and again last summer for our six-week European tour together.

"To say we've all seen some shit is an understatement. The folks in Rosetta are a class act and not to mention one of the heaviest bands in the world. They haven't been to the west coast in seven years and we're honored to be accompanying them on their return to our side of the country." More...

U.S. epic progressive metal rising force Witherfall just signed a worldwide deal with Century Media. The label comments:

"Witherfall, who seem to have come out of nowhere in late 2016, stirred up the international scene with a unique approach of combining epic metal with dark heavy metal and complex yet catchy progressive metal to style that reminds of early Crimson Glory, the Conspiracy/The Eye era of King Diamond and the great achievements of bands like Nevermore, Fates Warning and Queensr?che."

The band had this to say about inking the new record deal: “We are very honored to be a part of the Century Media legacy. The roster of acts they have worked with speaks volumes about the pride they take in bringing original and engaging music to Metal fans around the globe. Witherfall promises to deliver on the Century Media slogan of 'Quality in Metal.'"

Witherfall’s debut album “Nocturnes And Requiems” was self-released by the band in the USA and will now see its European release on October 6th, 2017 as a limited CD digipak version with three stickers, a noble LP version with gatefold sleeve, inlay, poster and CD, as well as digital download/stream. More...

Detroit’s hardcore institution Cold As life will drop a new 7” release featuring the “Suffer” and “For The Few” single via Demons Run Amok Records on August 11th, 2017. You can also stream both songs below.

Reflecting the urban blight that surrounds the band via music, "Cold As Life is Detroit and Detroit Is Cold As Life” as Jimmy Gestapo (of Murphy’s Law) once said of the band. True to that analogy these two blasts of no-nonsense streetcore anthems come from a place of both pain and pride.

Vocalist Jesse Adkins says that “Suffer” is “a very deep song about addiction. As a child my mother was addicted to heavy drugs and it lasted until she passed when I was an adult. However, through this childhood of neglect and despair I learned what not to do and I wouldn't change a thing about it because I wouldn't be me without having gone through that.”

Regarding the B track “For The Few,” Adkins says is about the current hardcore scene. As he says “Today I feel a lot has changed, like everyone knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. I'm not in a band to be cool, I have a reason I'm screaming on stage. The songs I've written and the songs from the past are all written with a great deal of heart. It's a kind of rhythm of pain.” More...

Steelheart will release new album "Through Worlds Of Stardust" on September 15th via Frontiers Music Srl. A video for album track "You Got Me Twisted" has now come online today and can be seen below. Of the video, Miljenko Matijevic told Ultimate Classic Rock:

"This video was so much fun to make! It is funny, sexy, and rock 'n roll, as it should be. The scenes in the mansion were filmed at a famous old house which was the home of English film director James Whale during the making of his four classic films: Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), and Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

"The performance scenes were filmed in downtown Los Angeles. My film team and the beautiful actress and model, Shonda Mackey did an amazing job on the video! I am truly excited for the world to see it and I hope you all like the video as much as we had fun making it!" More...

Final Drive just announced a new string of August tour dates accompanied by Shawshank Redeemed and Shinebright on select shows. Kicking off August 11th, Final Drive will join forces with Letters From The Fire for a St. Louis performance at The Firebird. Tickets are available now at this location.

Vocalist Jordan Gaw comments: "There’s nothing like kicking off a tour in our hometown, we had the awesome luck of timing and lined up the show with Letters from the Fire! This will sure to get the run off to a killer start. Working on a few surprises as well, so come out, say hello, get down on some FYM! VIP upgrades available!" More...

Nearly three years in the making, Satyricon just recently unveiled ninth studio album, "Deep Calleth Upon Deep," which is set for release on September 22nd via Napalm Records.

"Deep Calleth Upon Deep" was ecorded in Oslo, Norway and Vancouver, Canada, during early 2017 and mixed together with studio guru Mike Fraser.

After previously unveiling the artwork - an obscure drawing from 1898 by Edvard Munch - today the band is proud to announce the full track listing.

Says frontman Satyr: "Approaching this release, what I always kept in mind is that either this is the beginning of something new or it's gonna be my last record. If this is going to be the last, then it needs to be something special. If there are more records, then I'd better make sure that this is so different from the last one that it feels like a new beginning. I think it's really, really dark, very spiritual and filled with confidence and energy."

Tampa Bay death metal godfathers Obituary just shared an official live video accompanying "Sentence Day" off the band's self-titled album. The video was filmed in 4k by Magnetar Studios at several locations on Obituary's headlining tour with Gruesome earlier this year.

The band comments: "We are super excited to bring you guys another music video from the new album. This video was extra fun for the band as we invited James to ride along with us for a couple shows and get onstage/offstage and crowd footage then his entire crew met up with us and filmed a show with multi-camera angles. 'Sentence Day' is one of our favorite songs on the album and definitely a fan favorite so we are proud to bring you guys this video. Enjoy!"

Additionally, Obituary returns to Europe for ten performances on August 6th at VOA Heavy Rock Fest in Portugal. The band will also perform at Alcatraz Festival, Bloodstock, Summer Breeze and more.

Brooklyn-based black metal band Arsantiqva premieres a new song and lyric video titled "Hellwhore", a track from the band’s forthcoming debut album, "Scavengers", which will be out in stores later this year. "Scavengers" was recorded in Brooklyn at Metrosonic Studio and mixed and mastered at Dugout Productions in Sweden by Daniel Bergstrand (Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Dark Funeral) and Lawrence Mackrory. The cover art was designed by Art Noir Studio.

Belgian death grind veterans Leng Tch'e debuts a new song and music video called "Stentor Of Doom", taken from their forthcoming new album "Razogrind", which Season Of Mist will have in stores on August 25th.

Trivium today premieres a new single and music video titled "The Sin And The Sentence." The track is also now available to purchase as a single through digital retailers here.

Assuming that the retailers link (https://trivium.lnk.to/VIII) refers to the roman number 8 and the band’s next album will be the band's eighth release, it might well be that Trivium has a new full-length album up its sleeve.